Dispensing-cabinet.



PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

T E m HE A L BO EG HN WM N E P S I D APPLICATION FILED D30, 20, 1904.

JNVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT @EETGE.

DISPENSING-CABIN ET.

T0 (ti/Z whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SETH WHEELER, a resident of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dispensing- Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved dispensing-cabinet, and -more particularly to a cabinet for toilet-papers, having three, five, seven, or more folds to the sheets or units of one or more sheets and the end. folds interfolded or lapped, the object of the invention being to provide a cabinet with a discharge opening or slot in its bottom at or near its back and also provide improved means for indicating the quantity of paper in the cabinet.

\Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of my improved cabinet. Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a view of the cabinet open; and Fig. 4 is a view in section, showing the body of the cabinet separated from the back.

1 represents the back plate of the cabinet, which may be secured to the wall or other support in any approved manner, and said back 1 is provided with flanges 2 at its sides and with depending tongues 3 at the lower rear portions of said flanges.

4 represents the body or boX,which is of general rectangular shape, having its open side when in normal position against the back 1, and this boX portion 4 is made with depending tongues 5 at its lower inner portion hinged by rivets or by a cross-pin to the tongues 3 of the back portion, and a suitable lock 6 is provided at the top to lock the box to the back portion, as clearly shown; The bottom of the boX at its inner or rear portion is curved downward and upon itself, as shown at 7, forming an opening or slot 8 at the rear or back, through which the interfolded sheets are to be Withdrawn one unit at a time.

It is to be noted that this cabinet is intended particularly for dispensing packages of interfolded sheets having three or more un- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed December 20, 1904. Serial No. 237,667.

even number of leaves, whereby the terminals of each folded sheet or unit of two or more sheets of the package alternate in direction, and so admit of a narrow delivery-opening at or near the side or back of the cabinet instead of a wide opening at or near the center required for interfolded packages of an even number of leaves. Such cabinets as heretofore constructed with the opening at the front of the cabinet are objectionable, in that if the projecting sheet is drawn from the cabinet horizontally the interfolded end of the succeeding sheet may be prevented from passing out the opening with the leaf of the sheet withdrawn in consequence of the closing of the opening by the latter. Vhile in ordinary or private use this may seldom occur, it is a contingency that must be guarded against in public places, where through the spirit of mischief or malice the opportunity of annoyance is rarely overlooked. By providing the opening at the back of the bottom in which it is obviously impossible to close the opening in withdrawing the sheet and that in whatever direction the sheet is drawn it cannot interfere with the free exit of the succeeding sheets.

In the front of the cabinet a short shaft or pin 10 is mounted to turn and has a pointer 11 secured on its outer end, the front of the cabinet being slightly depressed, as shown at 12, or a curb raised just outside the path of the pointer to permit free movement of the pointer and prevent parties catching the pointer in their clothes when moving against the cabinet. The front of the cabinet is or may be suitably marked to register with the pointer, and a fiat arm 13 is secured on the inner end of the shaft or pin 10 and has a cross-pin 14 at its end, which rests on the top of the pile of paper in the cabinet, and as the paper is removed from the bottom the arm moves down and turns the pointer to indicate the height of paper in. the cabinet, and this arm also serves as a weight to assist the downward feed of the paper.

It will be observed that in the construction shown the bottom when the cabinet is closed is a part of the shell instead of an extension of the back, as in cabinets having the delivery-opening in front. When the cabinet is open, as shown in-Fig. 3, the wrapped package may be placed in it and the wrapper removed subsequently, thus avoiding the possibility of dropping an unwrapped package when the construction of the cabinet requires the removal of the wrapper from the package before it is placed in the cabinet.

A great many slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do not restrict myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new article of manufacture, a dispensing-cabinet for toilet-paper having an opening in its bottom in close proximity to the back of the cabinet, the bottom of the cabinet arranged to support sheets of paper with the free edges thereof overhanging said opening and free to enter the same successively.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a dispensing-cabinet comprising a back adapted to be secured to a suitable support, a box having a hinged connection at its lower end with said back, said box having a bottom for supporting sheets of paper and having an opening at the hinged edge of the box, and means for locking the box to the back. i

3. As a new article of manufacture, a dispensing-cabinet comprising a back having side flanges, a box or receptacle hinged at its lower end to the flanges of the back, a bottom in said box for supporting sheets of paper, the rear edge of said bottom spaced from the back to form a dischargeoutlet for sheets of paper.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a dispensing-cabinet comprising aback adapted to be secured to a wall or other support, a receptacle having a bottom pivotally connected with the back and spaced at its rear edge therefrom to form a narrow delivery-opening when the cabinet is closed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a dispensing-cabinet comprising a back adapted to be secured to a wall or othersupport, a box hinged at its lower end thereto, and the bottom of said box at its hinged edge bent back forming a discharge-opening through which the contents of the cabinet are to be withdrawn.

6. The combination with a cabinet for toiletpaper, a pin or short shaft extending through the front of said cabinet, a pointer secured on the outer end of the pin or shaft, an arm secured on the inner end of the shaft or pin, a lateral extension on said arm to rest on the package of paper in the cabinet, and move downwardly as the height of the package becomes reduced.

7. The combination with a cabinet for toilet-paper having a depressed or indented portion in its front or an equivalent curb surrounding the pointer, a pointer movable in said depressed portion or curb, an arm on the inside of the cabinet connected with the pointer, and a pin or extension of the arm supported on the top of the paper and adapted to move downward as the paper is removed through the bottom of the cabinet and turn thepointer to indicate the quantity of paper in the cabinet.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SETH WHEELER. Witnesses:

EDGAR WHEELER, WM. A. WHEELER. 

